The surface membrane properties of murine 3T3, SV 40-transformed 3T3, and revertant variant cells of SV 40-transformed 3T3 which have regained density-dependent inhibition of growth are being examined. Attention has been focused on the sub strate-attached material (SAM), which are the adhesion sites which pinch off from the rest of the cell surface and which remain to the tissue culture substrate sebsequent to E6TA-mediated detachment of cells. Since SAM is greatly enriched in glycosaminoglycans (GAG), we are interested in determining the molecular organization and the prospective function of these GAG's and their proreoglycans deposited as "footpad" or "footprint" SAM will be determined. Various molecular probes will be used to determine the topographical organization of GAG's and the proteoglycans aggregate into "supramolecular" comparable to those found in cartilaginous tissues. The mechanism of cellular adhesion to serum absorbed substrates will also be probed by studying a variety of adhesive parameters in the presence or absence of exogenously-added GAG's and/or proteoglycans. These studies will hopefully elucidate the functional role which GAG's and their proteoglycans play in one type of cellular adhesion process and whether this role is different for normal and malignant cells.